


Antonym for Betrayal

by MagicTrashCan



Category: British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction, Tom Hiddleston Fandom
Genre: Betrayal (the play), Bobby is there so obviously this fic is Soft, F/M, Fluff, For the pair that I haven't finished their origin fic for!!!!, Meeting Fans, Nostalgia, Slice of Life, Welcome to fluff!!!, oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 11:26:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18409688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicTrashCan/pseuds/MagicTrashCan
Summary: Mel is home for a few weeks before she flies out to begin filming her next movie, which is lovely but for the bitter-sweetness of Tom being busy all the time on Betrayal.Well. There's always time for a lunch break, right?





	Antonym for Betrayal

**Author's Note:**

> This is for a Tom/OFC pairing that I -do- have an origin story for, which is also published and wip, but I saw all the selfies with Tom from stage door and I just couldn't resist this.

Mel pulled her coat tighter against her neck in an attempt to buffer against the bitter wind chill. _Barely out the door and already the world is moving against me_. She secured Bobby’s lead to her wrist as she locked the door. The spaniel was already tugging as her lightly, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he looked out at the world and back to her in an approximation of a grin.

“I know, I know. We’re going, don’t worry.” She spotted the car outside the gate, close enough to allow for plenty of discretion, a convenience that never ceased to bring her a moment of relief. “George is already here, and then we’ll see dad in no time.”

On cue, Bobby dragged her along, which made her grin. He was perfectly trained, but he never stopped pushing the limits in playful ways, and only with her and Tom. When anyone else was around he was a picture of excellent behavior.

While she pulled the gate to the house closed, George left his seat and went around to her side to open her door.

“Good afternoon, Mel. How are you, today?”

“Freezing, but I suppose otherwise fine. Oh, how many times do I have to tell you you don’t have to get my door before you actually listen?” she griped, but still smiling as Bobby leapt in ahead of her.

George grinned and shrugged. He was a bear of a man, towering at well over six feet tall with barrel shoulders and thick physique everywhere else, and so even that small movement accentuated just how large he was. _Much like a teddy bear_. He was one of the kindest people Mel knew, and that in combination with his intimating appearance, made him the perfect body guard in her eyes. “I don’t know, Mel. Guess you’ll just have to keep asking to figure it out.”

She rolled her eyes and slipped into the car, giving him a smirk as she went. “I guess so.”

The drive to the Harold Pinter Theater was a well familiar one, and thus passed rather quietly and quickly. George had one of his podcasts on, a pair of friends investigating fringe groups, so she settled in and listened with her eyes shut while she pet Bobby. Moments of _quiet_ and _still_ were such rare occurrences anymore, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness and longing. _What I would give for_ one _vacation, unencumbered by…everything._ Only a few more weeks of this and she would be back to L.A. and filming and busy, busy, busy.

Before she had more opportunity to feel sorry for herself, they were pulling up to the stage door. The gates surrounding the doors were already lined with fans waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors, and maybe a conversation or autograph, and all of them were craning in an attempt to peer into her car.

George glanced back at her as he parked. “Are you stopping today?”

Mel pursed her lips and popped them lightly, gazing at the group of people. “Not now. When Tom and I come back out we can, but only for a few minutes. I’m sure he’s starving. And tired. And starving.”

George chuckled once. “I bet. Okay, you ready then?”

“As I ever am.” She gave Bobby a quick scratch behind the ears as she picked up the lead again.

George hopped out and opened her door. As soon as Mel stepped into the open, a chaotic, unintelligible stream of shouts met her. “Michelle!” “Can you sign this?” “Is that Bobby?!” “Michelle, can we take a selfie?” She grinned and waved at them all.

“Hi guys! I’m picking up Tom right now and I’m freezing my ass off. We’ll try to stop on our way out!” she shouted over the din, causing even louder cries as she walked through the stage door, even if she was strategically shielded by George for most of it.

Once the door closed, she sighed and began to shrug off her coat. “ _Thank you_. We’ll be just a few minutes.”

“You’re fine. You don’t have to thank me for doing my job.”

“I don’t and I always will.” She shot him a cheeky grin and hung up her coat. “Alright, five minutes! See you in a sec.”

            She weaved her way through the hallways, Bobby trotting along behind her, until she reached a dressing room. She spotted Tom before he did her, so she leaned on the door frame and admired him for a moment. He was reading a book, she’d already forgotten what he told her it was, and had changed out of his stage clothes and into his normal slacks and blue jumper. He looked so relaxed that she hated to break the moment he had found for himself, but–

She rapped on the door frame twice and grinned when he turned and his face lit up. In moments he was on his feet and pulling her close, kissing her hard and passionately until she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Calm down. You literally saw me this morning,” she chuckled, a bit breathless.

“It was too long. I missed you.”

She rolled her eyes and tucked some of his over-long curls safely behind his ear again. “Such a softie.”

“The term is _romantic_ , darling.”

“Oh, don’t you start _darling_ -ing me, or we’ll be in real trouble.” They both laughed and she gave him another peck on the lips before disentangling herself. “Now come on. George is waiting.” Her words were only enforced by Bobby soundly nudging himself between them until Tom gave him a scratch behind the ears.

“Right. Tom Cribb know we’re coming?”

“Yep! I asked if we could bring Bobby into our room and they said they would make an exception.” She shot him a smirk. “For _me_.”

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes while he shrugged on his coat. “Then let us be off! We can’t be wasting time when _exceptions_ are being made.”

Mel cackled and slipped her hand in his as they started walking. “You know you love me.”

“This much is true.”

Mel allowed herself a small, private smile. As much as they had been through over the years, it still made her heart race to hear him say it. “Mmm. Oh!” She stopped him when they reached the stage door. “There’s some fans out there. I might have promised them we’d stop for a moment.” He pursed his lips and glanced at the door with a new distaste, and she felt a pang of guilt. She touched his cheek and turned his face to look at her. “Just a moment, then you and me and Bobby alone in a pub, enjoying…well, whatever the hell meal it is on special right now.”

He smiled then and captured her mouth to his again, this time with a newfound sweetness in the passion. When he pulled back, his hand still resting in her hair and at the base of her neck, she was breathless.

“Alright. George know the plan?”

“Of course.”

“Then let’s go.”

As soon as the door was open, the group outside erupted with cheers and shouts. Tom was still holding her hand as they walked over, though he quickly released it as they were both pulled in different directions by fans who were holding out pictures or phones for selfies. Mel quickly passed Bobby’s lead to George before he could be overstimulated by so many strangers, and she was off.

“Michelle! Can you sign this please?”

Mel laughed at the picture of her and Tom from their Royal Academy rehearsals of Macbeth, wearing haggled together costumes and over-acting written all over their faces. _This is what happens when you let the Academy release pictures for publicity_. She signed it and looked at the girl. “What’s your name, dear?”

“Jackie.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Jackie. May you be well more talented than these two chucklefucks.”

Jackie laughed with her then, the kind of high pitched ecstasy laugh Mel had come to expect in most interactions with fans. It was sweet. She still got that way around certain people she admired and it reminded her that they were, all of them, in the same boat.

“You two are perfect. I mean, I wish Tom was single, obviously, but also you’re both perfect. Oh god, that was rude. I’m so sorry. I love you as Sif! I love you both! I’m so sorry!”

“Jackie!” Mel grabbed her hand and smiled at the girl while miming deep breaths until she was calm again. “You’re perfectly fine. I know exactly what you mean. And thank you, you’re very kind.”

The girl sighed and smiled. “Thanks. Thank _you_.”

It went on like that for a few minutes. Mel moved through people as quickly as she could while still being considerate and taking time. Most of them gave her the same courtesy, allowing her to pass quickly and respecting her when she moved on. Eventually she felt George’s grip at her elbow as he leaned down to whisper nonsense in her ear. She nodded and then turned to Tom, who turned to her as if he’d read her mind.

“Time to go.” She grabbed his hand and allowed herself a particularly sappy glance, despite the onlookers.

“Right.” He turned and waved to everyone, which elicited more shouts. “Thank you all! We have to go to lunch now. Have a lovely day!”

George opened the door to the car and they slipped inside behind Bobby, both uttering a sigh of relief. While they were still situating themselves, he began pulling out of the alley and back into traffic. Mel rested her head against Tom’s shoulder and pet Bobby, whose head now laid in her partner’s lap. Tom in turn laid his hand on hers and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“I love you, you know.”

She stifled a giggle, and instead lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. “I know. I love you, too.”

It was quiet for a precious moment before her phone went off. She groaned when she saw it was Luke. “I better take this, I’m sorry.”

“You’re fine, love.”

She took a steely breath: “Hello?”

“You know, I’m fully prepped for Tom to be all over the internet in selfies twenty times a day, but the least you could do is let me know when you intend to throw your own brand of chaos into the mix.”

“I’m lovely, Luke! Thank you so much for asking.”

He huffed. She could practically see him closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m serious, Mel. I have people specifically prepped to monitor what’s being said about Tom at stage door. Having you there too adds so many layers it gives me a headache. I need to _know_ these things when you plan to do them.”

“Forgive me for wanting to get lunch with my boyfriend.”

“You know that’s not what it’s about, Mel.”

Now it was her turn to pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh. “I know, I know.” She looked out the tinted window and pretended to be interested in traffic. “Is there anything we need to be worried about?”

“Not yet, fortunately. I redistributed some job duties to monitor traffic related to you as well, and nothing that isn’t positive. Other than the occasional jealous twitter account.”

“Right.”

“Are you planning on being at stage door again?”

Mel looked over at Tom, who was, for once, scrolling Instagram. The glow from the screen cast his face in strange shadows, accentuating lines of age dramatically. And my, he did look aged. The lines around his eyes lingered now even when he wasn’t smiling. She could see the specs of silver beginning to poke through his roots. How long had it been since he’d seen Rachelle? And even in the way he looked when he knew no eyes were on him, when they were sat at their house in the quiet comfort of their routine that existed between their busy schedules, he was…weary. Tired, at the very least.

_We’re getting old, whether we like it or not._

“Mel?”

“Mmm?” She blinked and glanced to the floor.

“Are you planning to be at stage door again?”

“Probably.” She slipped her hand into Tom’s without looking at him, lest she be distracted again. “I’ll check with Tom and let you know after our lunch.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

“Mhm. Talk to you later.”

And with that she ended the call and nuzzled close to Tom again. His hand empty hand brushed her arm, easing the tension out of her muscles with his touch.

“You seem a bit down, dear.”

“Sometimes quiet is merely introspective, _dear_. You know that.”

He chuckled at her tease. “This is a different quiet and you know it.”

“Fine.” She huffed and looked up at him without jostling her cozy position. “I’m just, I don’t know, sad, I guess. That we don’t get to always be like this.” She caressed his cheek and tried for a smile that wasn’t tainted by her sadness. “We’re getting older, Tom, and I’m too easily spoiled by your company.”

He gave her his own sad smile and kissed the crown of her head. “And you say _I’m_ the sentimental one.”

Mel laughed and pulled back from him, nudging him away playfully. “And this is exactly why I _can’t_ be, you prat.”

Tom held her look for a lingering moment, his soft, small smile matching her own, and leaned in to press an equally soft and small kiss to her lips. Warmth beyond mere arousal raced through her, the kind of warmth his touch always brought. She moved so she was facing him a bit more directly and made to deepen the kiss with–

The car halted, causing them to break apart.

Mel sighed and pressed her forehead against his. “I guess we better go eat.”

“I suppose we better.” He was smirking, very aware of the effect he was having on her…hunger. “There’s always later, darling. We do live in the same house after all.”

“Mmm,” she assented, gathering her bag and Bobby’s lead before shooting him a smirk of her own. “We even share – _gasp_ – a bed.”

He laughed then, full and hearty and enough joy in it to drive away all the worries she’d succumbed to on the ride. “You are so utterly ridiculous.” He kissed her forehead and grabbed her hand. “Now, come on. I’m starved.”

Mel followed him out into the cold air, knowing well none of it could touch her while she was with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway! That's these goobers. Thank you so much for reading! You're a delight and a blessing <3
> 
> Any comments/kudos/what-have-yous are appreciated ^_^


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